a Biblical thought...
People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." (Mark 7:37)
People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." (Mark 7:37)
a Book thought...
When we become a part of other people’s world instead of expecting them to become a part of ours, we sometimes see a whole network of people experience the transforming power of the gospel. (p80 Logan & Miller)
When we become a part of other people’s world instead of expecting them to become a part of ours, we sometimes see a whole network of people experience the transforming power of the gospel. (p80 Logan & Miller)
a Dave thought...
We had a great discussion in our cell group last night as we looked at the book of Jude. As we looked at v23 where it says to show mercy to those who doubt we began to talk about the large numbers of our peers who have stopped attending church and have had doubts about the gospel but maybe more so about the church. As we had a few Uni and post grad students there the discussion then went on to how the one way teaching style that once happened at our tertiary institutions is now rarely seen and has been replaced by problem-based learning. It seems the church still believes in a lecture style approach where maybe a lot of other parts of society have moved on to an approach to learning that involves more interaction. I believe in the PSA - that is we are as a nation now Post Sermon Australia. So with only 7% of Australians attending church on any given Sunday and numbers continuing to fall perhaps it is time to replace the sermon with something that makes us think rather than just listen.
Just a thought.
We had a great discussion in our cell group last night as we looked at the book of Jude. As we looked at v23 where it says to show mercy to those who doubt we began to talk about the large numbers of our peers who have stopped attending church and have had doubts about the gospel but maybe more so about the church. As we had a few Uni and post grad students there the discussion then went on to how the one way teaching style that once happened at our tertiary institutions is now rarely seen and has been replaced by problem-based learning. It seems the church still believes in a lecture style approach where maybe a lot of other parts of society have moved on to an approach to learning that involves more interaction. I believe in the PSA - that is we are as a nation now Post Sermon Australia. So with only 7% of Australians attending church on any given Sunday and numbers continuing to fall perhaps it is time to replace the sermon with something that makes us think rather than just listen.
Just a thought.
Posts
1 comment:
It is small wonder that the sermon has been the focus of debate, discussion and investigation. It has been dismissed as irrelevant in today's culture and has become the butt of numerous jokes and caricatures. Those whose theology avoids the sharp edges of Calvary and Easter don't want to give the sermon more than grudging admission; those who have made Christianity comfortable allow the sermon to decline into a spiritual pep talk or a vaguely Christianised comment on current affairs. When preaching is based on the assumption that the gospel is about meeting needs then most sermons tend to be about problem solving.
Yet the claim persists that these human words in some way can become God's message to these hearers. Every Sunday all over the world people rise up and claim to speak in the name of God. It is an astonishing thing to do and an astonishing claim to make. Preaching the gospel is a sign within the world that a different God is at work, warnings to the powers that their time is up. That is why preaching the gospel arouses fierce opposition. WJE
Post a Comment